ITKE grandparent – CIO Symmetryhttp://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry
A SearchCIO Small Business blogMon, 05 Dec 2016 15:29:24 +0000en-UShourly1Get ready to become a CIO business technologisthttp://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Get-ready-to-become-a-CIO-business-technologist
http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Get-ready-to-become-a-CIO-business-technologistFri, 30 Sep 2016 22:29:22 +0000http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Get-ready-to-become-a-CIO-business-technologistCIOs are becoming business technologists — and that’s a good thing, according to speakers at this year’s SIM Boston Technology Summit. This week’s Searchlight delves into the act of becoming a business technologist — what it takes and how it can benefit CIOs. Improving customer experience comes in many shapes and sizes, but more and...

]]>CIOs are becoming business technologists — and that’s a good thing, according to speakers at this year’s SIM Boston Technology Summit. This week’s Searchlight delves into the act of becoming a business technologist — what it takes and how it can benefit CIOs.

Improving customer experience comes in many shapes and sizes, but more and more organizations — everything from football organizations to small municipalities — are tapping mobility to achieve new heights. In this feature, Site Editor John Moore explores how mobile, social and AR are a part of the New England Patriot’s — and other organizations’ — digital transformation strategy.

]]>This week, Verizon bought Yahoo for $4.83 billion, ready to stake its claim in the online content and marketing industry. But experts are hesitant to applaud the deal, saying that the telecom giant will likely face hurdles as it integrates the struggling internet business. In Searchlight, associate site editor Brian Holak talks with industry professionals to find out whether Verizon can successfully compete in the digital content industry.

“Technology is the backbone of our customer service,” said JetBlue CIO Eash Sundaram at this year’s MIT CIO symposium – a statement that shouldn’t come as a surprise to companies that pride themselves in providing good customer service. But Sundaram’s career has a twist – he is also chair of a venture investment firm. On Total CIO, executive editor Linda Tucci talks about this latest development in the transformation of the CIO role.

Mobile security is now the No. 1 technology priority among the IT decision makers 451 Research polled this year. Why? Because as companies increase their mobile capabilities, they have also introduced new vulnerabilities into their risk profiles. In response, IT leaders are incorporating more layers of security into their mobile environment, as opposed to securing just one aspect of it.

Scaling your startup business doesn’t just involve scaling your product or service — that’s akin to continuously plugging more lights into an outlet until you blow a fuse. Leadership and agility expert Joseph Flahiff lays out the three key areas of scaling a business that organizations often miss: culture, leadership and organization.

So-called third platform technologies — social, mobile, big data analytics and cloud – are crucial to driving business innovation, and CIOs have a key role to play when it comes to enabling those innovative technologies. In a Total CIO blog post, assistant site editor Mekhala Roy speaks with Fred Magee, adjunct research advisor at IDC, about how to employ multi-tiered strategies to help with implementing innovation.

]]>http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/cio/verizon-homes-digital-content-yahoo-buy-dissent-shrouds-privacy-shield/feed/0CIOs play a part in Privacy Shield; “promiscuous” users change mobile securityhttp://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/CIOs-play-a-part-in-Privacy-Shield-promiscuous-users-change-mobile-security
http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/CIOs-play-a-part-in-Privacy-Shield-promiscuous-users-change-mobile-securityFri, 22 Jul 2016 20:56:12 +0000http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/CIOs-play-a-part-in-Privacy-Shield-promiscuous-users-change-mobile-securityThis week, the U.S. and the European Union approved Privacy Shield. If you haven’t already heard, it’s the set of laws that replaces Safe Harbor, the overturned laws that governed the transfer of Europeans’ data across the Atlantic. Privacy Shield has a similar aim to Safe Harbor, but it also has more specific rules, harsher...

]]>This week, the U.S. and the European Union approved Privacy Shield. If you haven’t already heard, it’s the set of laws that replaces Safe Harbor, the overturned laws that governed the transfer of Europeans’ data across the Atlantic. Privacy Shield has a similar aim to Safe Harbor, but it also has more specific rules, harsher penalties, and highlights data governance as a critical tool for organizations that seek to comply. In this week’s Searchlight column, features writer Jason Sparapani lays out the rules’ framework, how and why CIOs should take action, and the importance of collaboration.

If I asked you of one big think you think is reshaping how companies are securing their employees’ mobile devices, I bet the word “promiscuity” doesn’t come to mind. But this trend of “promiscuous” employees, or those who indiscriminately use their mobile devices for business and personal use along with their enablement and the convergence of mobile devices and PCs, are changing the game for mobile security. Sparapani sat down with security expert Dionisio Zumerle to get his take on exactly how. Zumerle also talks about why traditional management and security tools won’t work to secure mobile devices.

How are your fellow IT peers handling every new technology innovation and market shift? With its Information Technology Priorities Survey, TechTarget has been polling them every year since 2010 to find out. In our latest Essential Guide, we break down 385 IT professionals’ project priority lists and their IT budget and spending expectations for 2016.

Who doesn’t like free templates? We’ve updated two installments of our popular series, in which we compile a list of free, downloadable IT templates for CIOs gathered from around the web. First, take a look at a sampling of free project scope templates to help you clearly document project goals, deliverables, tasks, costs and deadlines and keep your projects on track. Then, head over to this collection of free cost-benefit analysis templates for a systematic approach to determining the risks and benefits of a project or business decision.

A group of global financial organizations have put their heads together and drafted a set of broad principles to combat infrastructure-related cyber risks. Called the “International CyberSecurity, Data and Technology Principles,” the paper urges policymakers, businesses and other stakeholders to find common ground when creating new cybersecurity standards and regulations. Find out more about the standards in this SearchCompliance FAQ.

What exactly is OPSEC? If you need a refresher on the term, we’re here to help. It stands for “operational security” and refers to the analytical process for classifying data assets and setting up the controls that are needed to protect these assets. Read the rest of the SearchCompliance definition to learn about the OPSEC five-step process.

]]>http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/cio/cios-play-part-privacy-shield-promiscuous-users-change-mobile-security/feed/0Enterprise augmented reality is a (Pokemon) Gohttp://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Enterprise-augmented-reality-is-a-Pokemon-Go
http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Enterprise-augmented-reality-is-a-Pokemon-GoFri, 15 Jul 2016 21:01:18 +0000http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Enterprise-augmented-reality-is-a-Pokemon-GoPokemon Go is officially a phenomenon, with millions of users around the world linked in to its augmented reality interface. What does it mean for the future of augmented reality in the enterprise? In this week’s Searchlight, Site Editor Fran Sales talks to industry observers to get their take. Also in Searchlight: Microsoft wins in...

]]>Pokemon Go is officially a phenomenon, with millions of users around the world linked in to its augmented reality interface. What does it mean for the future of augmented reality in the enterprise? In this week’s Searchlight, Site Editor Fran Sales talks to industry observers to get their take. Also in Searchlight: Microsoft wins in a warrant case and Google is hit with new antitrust charges by the European Commission.

Blockchain is being heralded as a transformative business technology, but how much of that is hype? In this feature, Editorial Director Sue Troy talks to Carl Lehmann, research manager at 451 Research, to get his opinion on the value of blockchain and its role in the enterprise.

In our most recent Essential Guide, delve into cloud strategy, security and deployment, and learn how to maximize the business benefits of your cloud computing investments.

]]>http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/cio/enterprise-augmented-reality-pokemon-go/feed/0Google’s computer vision offensive; the ‘Agile ERP’ philosophyhttp://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Googles-computer-vision-offensive-the-Agile-ERP-philosophy
http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Googles-computer-vision-offensive-the-Agile-ERP-philosophyFri, 08 Jul 2016 21:18:21 +0000http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Googles-computer-vision-offensive-the-Agile-ERP-philosophySearch engine behemoth Google has already put in effort to build up its image and item recognition efforts, but this week the company made a big move: It acquired Moodstocks, a French startup that specializes image recognition based on machine learning. In this week’s Searchlight, associate site editor Brian Holak speaks with AI experts to...

]]>Search engine behemoth Google has already put in effort to build up its image and item recognition efforts, but this week the company made a big move: It acquired Moodstocks, a French startup that specializes image recognition based on machine learning. In this week’s Searchlight, associate site editor Brian Holak speaks with AI experts to get their take on the future of so-called computer vision, as well as what it means for companies that aren’t big data giants.

The defining moment in CTO Niel Nickolaisen’s IT career was a large, complex ERP implementation — one that made him vow never to customize or focus innovation toward anything that is part of a company’s digital core — such ERP and CRM, which are mission-critical but do not create competitive differentiation. Read his CIO Innovators column to find out how another ERP experience — a large re-implementation — prompted him to add the notion of “Agile ERP” to this philosophy.

Digital transformation is a necessity — and a team effort of the entire executive leadership team. But that doesn’t mean CIOs don’t play a key role. In the latest Digital Insights tip, Andrew Horne of CEB talks about the three principles CIOs should follow to help their companies create digital frameworks and to prepare their IT teams to provide support.

In the wake of the Brexit decision, the UK could lose its status as Europe’s technology hub to Amsterdam, Barcelona or Berlin. On our Total CIO blog, features writer Jason Sparapani writes about how London-based CIOs can help retain the IT talent the city already has.

The July issue of our CIO Decisions e-zine is out! It features a deep-dive into the required steps companies must take to implement blockchain and achieve the technology’s potential. It also includes a one-on-one with MIT cybersecurity guru Stuart Madnick, in which he discusses how dark web hackers keep getting the upper hand, and a CIO careers column on new ways to approach the tech skills gap.

]]>http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/cio/googles-computer-vision-offensive-agile-erp-philosophy/feed/0IT uncertainty in wake of Brexit vote; healthcare company goes 100% cloudhttp://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/IT-uncertainty-in-wake-of-Brexit-vote-healthcare-company-goes-100-cloud
http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/IT-uncertainty-in-wake-of-Brexit-vote-healthcare-company-goes-100-cloudFri, 01 Jul 2016 21:03:29 +0000http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/IT-uncertainty-in-wake-of-Brexit-vote-healthcare-company-goes-100-cloudThe news of the “Brexit” vote rocked the world. What does the United Kingdom’s impending separation from the European Union mean for IT teams? One thing is certain — we’re in uncharted territory. In this week’s Searchlight, Features Writer Jason Sparapani explores the implications of Brexit and IT experts give advice for CIOs’ response to...

Creative Solutions in Healthcare Inc. is the first healthcare company in the U.S. to be 100% in the cloud. In this installment of CIO Innovators, Site Editor John Moore talked to Shawn Wiora, CIO at Creative Solutions, and other IT experts about end-to-end cloud strategies and how they could lead to better security, better performance and a cultural transformation.

The way today’s business applications are run is flawed, according to IT consultant Judith Hurwitz. Cognitive computing could change all of that, leading to a much needed data-led enterprise revolution, Hurwitz says. In part one of this two part Conference Notebook, Horwitz explains how the business applications of the future will be based on fast-moving, constantly-changing data. In part two she discusses how we can expect to see cognitive systems in the IT services marketplace.

]]>http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/cio/uncertainty-wake-brexit-vote-healthcare-company-goes-100-cloud/feed/0Dropbox tools strengthen enterprise bid; how to stop micromanaginghttp://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Dropbox-tools-strengthen-enterprise-bid-how-to-stop-micromanaging
http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Dropbox-tools-strengthen-enterprise-bid-how-to-stop-micromanagingFri, 24 Jun 2016 21:26:07 +0000http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Dropbox-tools-strengthen-enterprise-bid-how-to-stop-micromanagingDropbox is looking to brighten its enterprise allure with its new collaboration tools and partnerships. Can they help the file-sharing company solidify themselves as a force in enterprise collaboration? In this week’s Searchlight, Site Editor Fran Sales gets analysts’ takes on Dropbox’s strategy and what it means for the future of enterprise collaboration. The recent...

]]>Dropbox is looking to brighten its enterprise allure with its new collaboration tools and partnerships. Can they help the file-sharing company solidify themselves as a force in enterprise collaboration? In this week’s Searchlight, Site Editor Fran Sales gets analysts’ takes on Dropbox’s strategy and what it means for the future of enterprise collaboration.

The recent Cloud Expo conference in New York brought consultants, workers and job seekers together to discuss all things cloud. In this Conference Notebook installment, Features Writer Jason Sparapani recaps the top cloud questions raised at the conference and key discussions on topics ranging from container storage to the internet of things.

According to Verizon’s 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report, human errors continue to be a top data security threat. In this Q&A with Bryan Sartin, managing director of the Verizon RISK Team and co-author of the report, Sartin details today’s biggest data security threats and why basic information protection processes can go a long way.

How should enterprises handle security and data governance amid the coming barrage of regulations aimed at IoT and big data? That’s what panelists at the MIT CIO event sought to address. This TotalCIO blog post explores the best bits from the “Big Data 2.0: Next-Gen Privacy, Security and Analytics” panel discussion. In another blog post from the MIT CIO event, Sparapani recaps CIO advice from expert panelists.

]]>http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/cio/dropbox-tools-strengthen-enterprise-bid-stop-micromanaging/feed/0Microsoft moves away from smartphones; blockchain compliancehttp://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Microsoft-moves-away-from-smartphones-blockchain-compliance
http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Microsoft-moves-away-from-smartphones-blockchain-complianceSun, 29 May 2016 01:26:43 +0000http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Microsoft-moves-away-from-smartphones-blockchain-complianceMicrosoft is cutting 1,850 jobs from its struggling smartphone division. The announcement comes a week after the company sold its feature phone business to a Foxconn subsidiary. In Searchlight, Associate Editor Brian Holak talks to two industry watchers to get their take on what the decision spells for Microsoft’s mobile future. When the CFO of...

]]>Microsoft is cutting 1,850 jobs from its struggling smartphone division. The announcement comes a week after the company sold its feature phone business to a Foxconn subsidiary. In Searchlight, Associate Editor Brian Holak talks to two industry watchers to get their take on what the decision spells for Microsoft’s mobile future.

When the CFO of Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) abandoned the space agency’s on-premises accounting software for a cloud-based one, he was ahead of his peers. In this Business POV column, Features Writer Jason Sparapani delves into how the cloud financial management system gave CASIS a real-time view into its finances – which opened up a whole host of benefits.

More videos from last week’s MIT Sloan CIO Symposium: Derek Roos, CEO of Boston startup Mendix, talks about how CIOs can use a bimodal strategy to better meet the demands of the business; and Christopher Paquette, a partner at McKinsey & Company, discusses where to start when scaling out digitization and the operational and output metrics businesses should use to gauge their digital transformation.

It’s time for our next #CIOChat, this time on the topic of designing a digital workplace. Join Kristine Dery, research scientist at MIT’s CISR, along with SearchCIO editors and staff on Twitter on Wednesday, June 1, at 3 p.m. EST, to discuss how to build an effective digital workplace.

Over on SearchCompliance…

Blockchain technology is garnering more and more attention in the financial sector. But questions are also cropping up: Are lawmakers overlooking blockhain’s security benefits? Furthermore, could overzealous regulation hinder potential innovation? Senior Site Editor Ben Cole explores the issue in this feature.

]]>http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/cio/microsoft-moves-away-smartphones-blockchain-compliance/feed/0IBM takes on quantum computing; how CIOs can hone customer-centric designhttp://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/IBM-takes-on-quantum-computing-how-CIOs-can-hone-customer-centric-design
http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/IBM-takes-on-quantum-computing-how-CIOs-can-hone-customer-centric-designFri, 06 May 2016 21:08:40 +0000http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/IBM-takes-on-quantum-computing-how-CIOs-can-hone-customer-centric-designIBM is seeking to speed innovation and discover new use cases for quantum computing. In an effort to do so, it created Quantum Experience, cloud-enabled quantum computing platform that anyone on any desktop or mobile device can access for free. The platform is the first of its kind, but is it really groundbreaking. On Searchlight,...

]]>IBM is seeking to speed innovation and discover new use cases for quantum computing. In an effort to do so, it created Quantum Experience, cloud-enabled quantum computing platform that anyone on any desktop or mobile device can access for free. The platform is the first of its kind, but is it really groundbreaking. On Searchlight, Associate Site Editor Brian Holak spoke with analysts and researchers to see what potential impact IBM Quantum Experience could have on the enterprise.

Standardization is an important ingredient to delivering great customer service, saving on costs and improving consistency and efficiency. But while standardizing processes can give companies an edge, too much of it can hurt companies and IT departments by taking away personalized service. To find the balance between standardization and personalization, Gartner analyst Bruce Robertson advises CIOs to use techniques such as customer journey mapping and design thinking, as well as tools such as the net promoter score (NPS), a metric that gauges customer experience and brand loyalty.

A mobile strategy is also a necessity for companies to remain competitive, as both customers and employees have made mobile devices their primary computing and engagement platform. IT departments and CIOs play a key role in developing and implementing this digital strategy, but because of a plethora of technical and cultural challenges, enterprises have been slow to deploy mobile apps. Kurt Marko, a technology analyst at MarkoInsights, says that mobile backend as a service (MBaaS), a cloud-based app design model, can help CIOs take the hybrid approach of connecting on-premises applications and data.

]]>http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/cio/ibm-takes-quantum-computing-cios-can-hone-customer-centric-design/feed/0Facebook’s new ‘chatbots’; the art of innovationhttp://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Facebooks-new-chatbots-the-art-of-innovation
http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Facebooks-new-chatbots-the-art-of-innovationSat, 16 Apr 2016 01:09:12 +0000http://searchcio.techtarget.com/blog/CIO-Symmetry/Facebooks-new-chatbots-the-art-of-innovationFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants consumers to think of businesses as their friend. Sounds like a stretch? With the company’s new “chatbots,” it could soon be a reality. Facebook opened up its Messenger app to developers so they create these robots, which are powered by artificial intelligence and could offer consumers another channel to engage...

]]>Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants consumers to think of businesses as their friend. Sounds like a stretch? With the company’s new “chatbots,” it could soon be a reality. Facebook opened up its Messenger app to developers so they create these robots, which are powered by artificial intelligence and could offer consumers another channel to engage with businesses. Associate Site Editor Brian Holak talks to enterprise mobility experts to get their take.

How can CIOs sell the notion that IT is prepared to partner with the business to drive innovation? At the recent Gartner Business Intelligence and Analytics Summit, Guy Kawasaki, former chief evangelist at Apple, lays out a 10-step guide on how to foster the art of innovation.

Companies are using data lakes to navigate growing pools of complex data. But they need governance to get the most out of these tools, or risk disaster. Read more in the April issue of CIO Decisions. And on the latest issue of our SearchCIO handbook, read about how Soundsgood, a Paris-based startup, is partnering with streaming platform APIs from Spotify, YouTube and others so its users can curate and share playlists across those services.